The present disclosure relates generally to Advanced Process Control (“APC”) as applied to semiconductor fabrication and, more particularly, to system and method for implementing a wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) APC with a novel sampling policy and architecture.
APC has become an essential component in semiconductor fabrication facilities (“fabs”) for enabling continued improvement of device yield and reliability at a reduced cost. Significant elements of APC include integrated metrology, fault detection and classification, and run-to-run control. APC aids in reducing process variation as well as production costs. A key requirement for effective APC is that metrology tools are available to measure key parameters within an acceptable time frame. Additionally, methods must be provided for analyzing and interpreting measurement data. In practice, APC requires rich in-line measurements because the manufacturing processes are usually subjected to disturbance and drift caused by a variety of sources.
Similarly, wafer-level testing plays a crucial role in IC fabrication, particularly as the cost for post production processes increases. A defective wafer is identified by the processing and disposed of before it undergoes post-processing. A wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) includes numerous testing items and is a vital part of the IC fabrication process. In a conventional foundry, WAT is performed as defined by a predetermined WAT model that specifies a number of test sites for wafers of a particular size. As advances have been made in IC fabrication, more specific testing has been required to determine product quality.